Villa René Lalique
Chef Paul Stradner
The Story of a Chef
Brought up on a farm in Styria in southern Austria, Paul Stradner was always drawn to the restaurant trade. However, it wasn't until embarking upon his apprenticeship that he discovered the world of cooking and realised that this was where his destiny lay.
Seven years spent working in the Schwarzwaldstube restaurant (3 Michelin stars) at the Traube Tonbach hotel in the Black Forest gave him the experience he needed to cross the Rhine and join the brigade at L'Arnsbourg in Baerenthal, in the Moselle, working alongside Jean-Georges Klein, whose creativity offered a particular enticement.
A culinary signature
Ready to establish his own culinary identity, he was then appointed chef of the Brenners Park Hotel & Spa, a famous 5-star establishment in Baden-Baden, Germany. There he distinguished himself as an up-and-comer in the world of gastronomy, quickly earning 2 stars in the Michelin Guide (making him one of the youngest chefs in Germany to achieve this distinction) and an 18/20 rating in the Gault&Millau Guide, which singled him out as a rising star in 2016.
So, when his mentor, Jean-Georges Klein, asked him to join him at the Villa René Lalique in 2017, Paul didn't hesitate, such was his appreciation of this small-scale establishment where investment in haute cuisine was paramount.
In a seamless transition, the handover between the two chefs took place quite naturally, with Paul able to assert his culinary identity without having to overturn what had come before. With the retirement of Jean-Georges Klein, this is now plain to see, resulting in a cuisine that appeals to both loyal customers and those seeking new discoveries.
In 2020, Paul Stradner took on the role of Chef, proudly succeeding the man who had so inspired him.